Delaware Code
Subchapter V. Professional Art Therapists
§ 3060. Definitions.

As used in this subchapter:

(1) “Art therapy” means a mental health discipline that integrates use of psychotherapeutic principles, art media, and the creative process to assist individuals, families, or groups in, doing all of the following:

a. Increasing awareness of self and others.
b. Coping with symptoms, stress, and traumatic experiences.
c. Enhancing cognitive abilities.
d. Identifying and assessing clients' needs in order to implement therapeutic interventions to meet developmental, behavioral, mental, and emotional needs.
(2) “Art therapy services” means all of the following services:

a. Clinical appraisal and treatment activities during individual, couples, family, or group sessions which provide opportunities for expression through art therapy.
b. Using the process and products of art creation to tap into clients' inner conflicts, fears, and core issues.
c. Employing diagnostic and assessment methods, consistent with training and experience, to determine treatment goals and implement therapeutic art interventions which meet developmental, cognitive, behavioral, and emotional needs.
d. Employing art media, the creative process, and the resulting artwork to assist clients to do all of the following:

1. Reduce psychiatric symptoms of depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, and attachment disorders.
2. Enhance neurological, cognitive, and verbal abilities; develop social skills; aid sensory impairments; and move developmental capabilities forward in specific areas.
3. Cope with symptoms of stress, anxiety, traumatic experiences, and grief.
4. Explore feelings, gain insight into behaviors, and reconcile emotional conflicts.
5. Improve or restore functioning and a sense of personal well-being.
6. Increase coping skills, self-esteem, awareness of self, and empathy for others.
7. Improve healthy channeling of anger and guilt.
8. Improve school performance, family functioning, and parent/child relationships.
(3) “Board” means the Board of Mental Health and Chemical Dependency Professionals established under § 3003 of this title.
(4) “Licensed associate art therapist” (LAAT) means an individual licensed as an associate art therapist under this chapter who obtains supervised experience from a licensed professional art therapist (LPAT), or other qualified mental health professional approved by the Board for the purposes of becoming licensed as a licensed professional art therapist.
(5) “Licensed professional art therapist” (LPAT) means an individual licensed to practice art therapy under this chapter who offers to individuals, families, or groups professional art therapy services directly to the general public, through public or private organizations, or through use of telemedicine in a manner deemed appropriate in regulation.
(6) “Supervised experience” means face-to-face consultation, on a regularly scheduled basis, between a supervisee and a licensed professional art therapist (LPAT) or other behavioral health professional approved by the Board. The Board approved supervisor is responsible for insuring that the extent, kind, and quality of the services rendered are consistent with the supervisee's education, training, and experience.
(7) “Telemedicine” means as defined in § 3002 of this title.

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